Uncoupling rod arrangement



April 15, 1969 R. w. MILLER ET AL 3,438,513

UNCOUPLING ROD ARRANGEMENT Filed March 7, 1967 Sheet of 2 INVEN TORS ROY W MILLER DON/1 D L. FRAGE AN BY 7 ATfY April 15, 1969 R w, MlLLER ET AL UNCOUPLING ROD ARRANGEMENT Sheet Filed March 7. 1967 INVENTORS ROYWM/LLER I 00 BY M Y W T JEN R F L H A P United States Patent Oiiice 3,438,513 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,438,513 UNCOUPLING ROD ARRANGEMENT Roy W. Miller, Highland, and Donald L. Frageman,

Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 621,189 Int. Cl. B61g 3/00, 3/08 U.S. Cl. 213-166 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An uncoupling arrangement for uncoupling the couplers mounted on the ends of a sliding sill of a long travel cushion underframe railway vehicle. The uncoupling arrangement includes an open ended sleeve-like member which is mounted for rotation on the end sill of the car. The sleeve-like member telescopingly receives a rod which is turnable therewith and has formed on one end a torque lever. The torque lever is slidably engageable and connected to a coupler operating rod which has a hooked end engageable with the uncoupling knuckle of the coupler. The lengths of the sleeve-like member, the rod and the coupler operating rod are proportioned so as to accommodate the full length of travel and swinging movements of the coupler and sliding sill.

Background of the invention Cushioned underframe railway vehicles utilizing a sliding center sill are now being commonly used in various types of railway cars to absorb the butt and draft forces imposed through the car couplers mounted on the opposite ends of the sliding center sill. The cushion underframe design comprises basically a sliding sill which is telescopically disposed in a stationary center sill of the railway car. The sliding sill carries the couplers on opposite ends thereof. Disposed and in engagement between the stationary and sliding sill is a cushion unit which limits the travel of the sliding sill. Current practice is to permit relative travel of the stationary and sliding sill of about 20 to 40 inches.

Thus, the couplers mounted on the sliding sill move longitudinally relative to the car upon the imposition of impacts in draft and butt to the couplers. The cushioning arrangement generally includes means for returning the sliding sill to a neutral position after the force of impact has been dissipated. Accordingly, the coupler is movable from the neutral position toward and away from the end sill of the car. At the same time the coupler swings in a substantially horizontal plane about a pivot connection to the sliding sill.

Obviously any uncoupling device must be mounted and constructed so as to accommodate the longitudinal travel of the sill in both directions relative to the end sill and also to accommodate the swinging movement of the coupler. It is this particular problem which the upcoupling arrangement of the present invention overcomes by providing a simply constructed uncoupling mechanism which is capable of meeting all of the requirements.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an end portion of a railway car having a sliding sill and embodying the uncoupling arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an end portion of a railway car 10 having an end sill 11 of more or less conventional construction. Extending longitudinally through the car is a stationary sill 12 of more or less standard construction. Slidably supported in the stationary sill for lengthwise movement thereof to the extent of travel of the .cushion unit (not shown) is a sliding sill 13. Mounted on the opposite ends of the sliding sill is a coupler 14 having a shank portion 15 which is mounted in the interior of the sliding sill and operatively connected to a draft gear (not shown) by means of a coupling pin (not shown) so as to be swingable in a substantially horizontal plane. The swinging movement is permitted by the construction of the usual bell mouth opening 16 of the sliding sill 13.

The uncoupling device 17 of the present invention generally includes open ended sleeve-like or first telescope member 18 mounted at one end of the end sill 11 of the car for turning movement about its own longitudinal axis. The sleeve-like member 18 telescopingly receives a rod second telescope member 19 which is turnably supported at one end on the sliding sill. The rod member 19 is provided with a torque arm 21 which is slidably engageable with one end of a coupler operating rod 22 having a hook end which is engageable with the unlocking knuckle of the coupler.

As shown, the sleeve-like member 18 may be in the form of an open ended rectangular tube adjacent to one of which there is fixed a handle member 24. The handle member 24 may be in the form of a circular rod having a right-angularly bent portion 26 extending transversely across the top of the rectangular tube and fixed thereto as by welding. Depending from the horizontal transversely extending portion of the circular rod is a looped portion 27 which enters a U-bolt 28 fixed to the end sill 11 of the railway vehicle 10. The looped portion 27 engaging within the U-bolt 28 permits pivotal or turning movement of the sleeve 18 about its own longitudinal axis. Engaging the rod 24 so as to limit the turning movement of the rectangular tube 1 8 in the normal coupler locked position thereof is an angle assembly 29 having a vertical leg 31 fixed to the end sill 11 and horizontal legs 32 having terminal edges 34 engaging the handle rod 24.

Inserted into the rectangular tube 18 is one end of the telescoping rod 19 which is preferably of rectangular section so as to be turnable therewith. To the other end of the telescoping rod 19 there is fixed a right angularly bent torque arm 21 which in the coupler locked or normal position of the rectangular tube 18 depends downwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the coupler 14, as shown in FIG. 2. The right-angularly bent arm 21 is supported in a closed loop strap 34 extending diagonally outwardly from a striker plate '35 on the bell mouth opening 16 of the sliding sill 13. Thus, the rectangular rod 19 and right angularly bent torque arm 21 are rockable or turnable with the rectangular tube 18 upon turning thereof by way of the handle 24.

Fixed to the end of the torque arm 21 are a pair of vertically spaced washers which provide transversely spaced slots 3636. Received within the slots 36 are the arms 3-7 and 37 of the looped end 38 of the coupler operating rod 22. At its other end, operating rod 22 is formed with the substantially J-shaped hook 23, engaging the coupler knuckle as shown for example in FIG. 2.

In operation, to unlock the coupler 14, the handle 24 is turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 3, causing the sleeve 18, the rod 19 and torque arm 21 to be simultaneously turned. Whereupon, the torque arm 21 in engagement with the looped end 38 of the coupler operating rod 22 turns the hook 23 so that the knuckle is displaced to its released position.

It is to be noted that the uncoupling rod arrangement 17 remains operatively connected to the coupler 14 when the sliding sill 13 assumes the fully retracted position as shown in phantom line on FIG. 1. In this position the coupler is also shown in an angular position displaced toward uncoupling arrangement 17. When the sliding sill 13 and the coupler 14 are thus positioned, the uncoupling arrangement 17 is disposed so that the torque arm 21 is located in the right end of the lOOp portion 38 of the operating rod. At the same time the rectangular rod 19 extends outwardly of the open end of the sleeve member 18 at the -U-bolt connection 28.

When the sliding sill 13 and coupler 14 attached thereto are in the extended position as shown in FIG. 1, the coupler arrangement continues to be in operative engagement with the coupler operating rod loop portion 38 being engaged by the torque arm 21 adjacent the left end thereof and the rectangular rod 19 is extended outwardly relative to the sleeve 18.

We claim:

1. In a sliding sill type railway vehicle wherein a longitudinal sliding sill is mounted for relative movement with respect to the remainder of the vehicle body in response to buff and draft forces, and a coupler mounted on the end of said sliding sill for lateral swinging movement relative thereto, an uncoupling device comprising an axially extensible rod assembly including a first telescope open ended member, means pivotally mounting one end of said first telescope member on said vehicle body for turning movement about the longitudinal axis thereof, a second telescope member being connected with the sliding sill and slidably received by said first telescope member and being turnable therewith, means mounting said second telescope member on said first telescope member for lengthwise movement therewith, a coupler operating rod means pivotally coupled at one end to a coupler lock operating means on said coupler and extending in generally a horizontal plane, means pivotally and slidably connecting said coupler operating rod means with one end of said second telescope member to accommodate greater angular swinging movement of said coupler in a generally horizontal plane during movement of the sliding sill, said second telescope member being of greater length than said first telescope member so that in one extreme lengthwise position of said sliding sill and extreme angular position of said coupler said other end of said second telescope member extends beyond said pivotally connected end of said first telescope member.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first telescope member comprises a tube, and said second telescope member comprises a rod shaped complementary to said tube.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said second telescope member includes a torque arm extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said first telescope member. a

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said coupler operating rod means includes a loop portion, and said torque arm is slidable with said loop portion.

5. In a sliding sill type railway vehicle wherein a longitudinal sliding sill is mounted for relative movement with respect to the remainder of the vehicle body in response to buff and draft forces, and a coupler mounted on the end of said sliding sill for lateral swinging movement relative thereto, said uncoupling device comprising an axially extensible rod assembly including an open ended tube, means pivotally mounting one end of said tube on said vehicle body for turning movement about the longitudinal axis thereof, rod means slidably received by said tube and being turnable therewith, and being connected with said sliding sill, said rod means including a torque arm extending substantially perpendicular to said rod means, a coupler operating rod extending in generally a horizontal plane and pivotally coupled at one end to a coupler lock operating means on said coupler, means slidably and pivotally connecting said coupler operating rod with said torque arm to accommodate greater angular swinging movement of said coupler in generally a horizontal plane, said rod means being of greater length than said tube so that in one extreme lengthwise position of said sliding sill and extreme angular position of said coupler said other end of the rod means extends beyond said pivotally connected end of said tube.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said means slidably and pivotally connecting said torque arm to said coupler operating rod comprises a closed loop portion.

7. The invention according to claim 5 and said means slidably and pivotally connecting said coupler operating rod with torque arm preventing rotation about a general horizontal axis of said coupler operating rod relative to said torque arm.

8. The invention according to claim 5 and said rod means being rigidly connected with said sliding sill.

9. An uncoupling device for a railroad vehicle having a coupler mounted in the end of a sliding sill for relative movement of the sill with respect to the vehicle in response to buff and draft forces, said uncoupling device comprising an axially extensible telescopic rod assembly including a first telescope member having an open end adapted to be pivotally mounted on said vehicle for a turning movement about the longitudinal axis thereof, a second telescope member slidably received by said first telescope member and having a free end adapted for connection with the sliding sill, a coupler operating rod means having one end adapted for pivotal coupling with the coupler and having the other end having a pivotal and sliding connection with said second telescope member to accommodate greater angular swinging movement of the coupler in a generally horizontal plane, said second telescope member being of greater length than said first telescope member so that in one extreme lengthwise position of the sliding sill and extreme angular position of the coupler the end of the second telescope member extends beyond the pivotal connection of the first telescope member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,117,677 1/1964 'Radey et al 213219 3,117,678 l/1964 Austgen 2132l9 3,117,679 1/1964 Miers 2132l9 3,227,289 1/1966 Cseri 213--219 3,258,133 6/1966 Hawkins 213-219 3,279,623 10/ 1966 Mowatt-Larssen 213-166 3,239,074 3/1966 Boone et al 213211 3,294,253 12/1966 Manyek 213166 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

